The new top trend at the earnings conference! As bank CIOs step into the spotlight one after another, how will the "brainpower" lead the future?

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Source: Beijing Business Daily

As AI, computing power, and data become the new “means of production” for the banking industry, digital transformation has entered the deep waters of “technology-driven, strategic core.” A group that once worked behind the scenes is now steadily stepping into the spotlight—bank Chief Information Officers (CIOs).

At the 2025 earnings release conference, CIOs shared the same stage with the chairman and the president, facing the market directly, becoming a new top draw at earnings calls.

From the “caretaker” role in technical operations to the “helmsman” role in digital and intelligence transformation, the change in CIO identity signals that technology has been upgraded in banks—from a “cost item” to a “growth engine.” Armed with practical experience such as AI full-scenario playbooks, outcomes from large-model deployments, and talent cultivation systems, they convey their determination and roadmap for banking technology transformation to the market.

CIOs bring their tech “buffs” and go mainstream together

At the 2025 banking industry earnings release conferences, a group that had rarely been seen before is now stepping up to the front stage together with a “tech buff.” They are the bank’s CIOs. As “technical caretakers” who once worked behind the scenes, they are now moving in large numbers into the spotlight, conveying the latest rollout progress of banks’ technology transformation and their future plans to the market.

As AI technology moves from “perception and cognition” to “decision and execution,” the banking industry’s use of AI has gone beyond the tool layer.

When the deputy governor and CIO of Bank of Communications, Qian Bin, opened his remarks, he immediately laid out the “AI full-scenario playbook.” He emphasized that using AI can transform technology enablers, intellectual property, and digital assets into credit assets. By optimizing product combinations such as equity, bonds, loans, leases, and custody/clearance through algorithmic models, banks can provide customers with comprehensive services across the entire lifecycle.

After a phase of development marked by scale expansion and a speed race, “value first, cost controllable” has become the direction for bank transformation. Niuxin Zhuang, deputy governor and CIO of Postal Savings Bank of China, mentioned four major directions—low capital, low cost, high efficiency, and high intelligence—revealing the thinking behind the bank’s transformation. On the “low-cost” path, “increasing scenario enablement by using a digital-and-intelligent platform as the engine,” “launching lead-generation actions targeting the funds ledger,” “leveraging the bill and voucher ecosystem to bank lower-cost funds,” and “lowering risk costs with comprehensive risk control as the core.”

Leading joint-stock banks are also pushing large models from the lab to frontline business. Since 2023, when Mi Jianmin, chairman of China Merchants Bank, proposed building the industry’s first intelligent bank, China Merchants Bank has begun laying out large-model applications. “By the end of 2025, we have cumulatively deployed 856 large-model application scenarios.” Using a set of data, the bank’s CIO Zhou Tianhong demonstrated the latest results. China Merchants Bank categorizes what large models can deliver into three types—high value, medium value, and low value—according to quantitative standards. He also previewed that in 2026, high-value work items will be fully rolled out.

When AI applications become standard, “talent support” is equally important. Zhang Bin, CIO of Minsheng Bank, frankly noted that starting in early 2024, the bank’s technology-line personnel recruitment has focused on three major areas: AI, security, and architecture. In 2025, it established a standardized training and certification system for AI engineers, and also formulated a coordination mechanism between business analysts and intelligent solution architects to support the shift from performance integration to performance co-creation.

CIOs make frequent appearances at earnings release conferences, sending three clear signals to the capital market. In the view of Bai Wenxi, vice director of the China Enterprise Capital Alliance, technology spending has been upgraded from a “cost item” to a “growth engine.” In the past, technology spending in banks’ financial reports was often classified as cost expenditures. CIOs taking the stage suggests banks hope investors will reconsider the investment. AI, computing power, and data are not consumption-like spending, but strategic assets that can generate “credit assets” and drive business monetization. Digital transformation has entered the “deep waters.” CIOs sharing the stage with the chairman and the president shows that the technology strategy has risen to a “top-leadership project,” conveying banks’ determination and execution capability to advance comprehensive digital-intelligent transformation to the market. Banks are building differentiated competitive strength in their “technology narrative.” Through the words of CIOs, each bank is outlining a unique technology blueprint to investors, using technology capabilities as a new leverage point for valuation premium.

Internal promotion and cross-industry open selection are increasing

From the collective voices of bank CIOs, it is not hard to see that they are no longer merely managers of technical operations and maintenance. Instead, they have become formulators of technology strategy, promoters of business integration, and discoverers of data value.

As the highest authority in bank information technology, the core responsibility of the CIO is to lead the establishment of an efficient, secure, and continuously upgradable information technology system, and to fully take charge of key responsibilities such as the bank’s information technology planning, building, operations and maintenance, and security.

CIO groups at state-owned large banks generally have deep and seasoned industry experience as well as extensive internal management experience, and most are core backbones who have worked within the bank long-term and grown step by step. For example, Qian Bin originally came from the “ICBC system,” having held roles such as general manager of the Information Technology Department of the Shanghai branch of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, deputy general manager of the Information Technology Department at the head office, and deputy general manager of the Private Banking Department. Later, he became deputy governor and CIO of Bank of Communications.

Niuxin Zhuang held roles including general manager of the Technology Development Department and general manager of the Information Technology Department at Minsheng Bank, and general manager of Minsheng Technology Company. In 2020, he joined Postal Savings Bank and served as general manager of the Financial Technology Innovation Department. These CIOs at state-owned large banks have been deeply engaged in the banking system for many years. They not only understand the operating logic of various bank businesses and customers’ demand characteristics, but also have a profound understanding of the development history of bank information technology and the existing foundation.

Setting up the important position of CIO is not limited to listed banks or large and mid-sized banks. Moreover, compared with state-owned large banks, the selection and appointment model for CIOs at smaller and mid-sized banks is more flexible and diverse. There are both internal promotions and methods such as open “selections” and bringing in talent from other institutions. For example, Yi Yongfeng, the newly appointed CIO of Beijing Rural Commercial Bank, had previously served for a long time on the technology line at 华夏银行. He previously served as deputy general manager of the Information Technology Department at Huaxia Bank and director of the Big Data Service Center.

Pingshang Bank and others also conducted open “selections” for the head-office CIO earlier, setting clear requirements for candidates, such as: having more than six years of information technology work experience; having strong insight into and successful deployment experience with technologies such as big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and blockchain; having foresight regarding emerging information technologies, as well as hands-on capability to drive the implementation of digital transformation strategies.

According to an incomplete count by reporters from Beijing Business Daily, since 2025, approximately 30 banks including Rizhao Bank, Pingshang Bank, Langfang Bank, the Hebei Provincial Rural Credit Cooperatives Union, Guangxi Beibu Gulf Bank, Xiamen International Bank, Heilongjiang Bank, and Liaoshen Bank have had their CIO appointment qualifications approved.

As Bai Wenxi said, the “internal promotion” model at state-owned large banks reflects a priority consideration for those who “understand banks.” Veterans on the technology line are well-versed in banking business logic and regulatory environments, allowing them to avoid the “two-skin” problem between technology and business. Smaller and mid-sized banks, through internal promotion, external recruitment, and open selection, can better address the structural weaknesses in talent reserves. However, attention should be paid to the CIO’s say in strategic decision-making. At the same time, the technology investment cycle is long and results are slow, creating a natural tension with banks’ short-term earnings performance assessments.

How to make CIOs truly “accountable, empowered, and impactful”

In the future competition of the banking industry, it is no longer limited to competing on scale, branches, and traditional businesses. It is about competing on the capability to implement technology strategies. Based on publicly available data from 2025, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, and Bank of China all had financial technology spending exceed 25 billion yuan; joint-stock banks are also keeping pace. China Merchants Bank’s information technology spending reached 12.9B yuan, while CEB Bank’s technology spending accounted for about 5% of operating revenue. Huaxia Bank and Industrial Bank’s information technology spending accounted for 4.29% and 3.58% of revenue, respectively. At a recent earnings release conference, Shengjing Bank’s chairman Zhang Weizhong also disclosed that over the past three years, the bank’s cumulative technology investment totaled 21.7 billion yuan, and the size of its technology personnel has been stable at around 6,000.

As banks’ technology transformation moves deeper—from upgrading underlying architecture and optimizing data governance, to building intelligent risk control, innovating scenario-based finance, and empowering operations with AI—every link depends on efficient technology coordination and execution. In this process, the CIO’s decision-making level, resource allocation capability, and execution efficiency will directly determine a bank’s long-term competitiveness.

How can CIOs truly achieve “accountable, empowered, and impactful”? Analysts say that, on one hand, it is necessary to clarify the boundaries of authority and responsibilities for CIOs in the bank’s overall strategy. On the other hand, it is necessary to build an evaluation and incentive system that matches their role.

Dong Simiao, chief economist at Zhenlian, pointed out that for different types of banks—especially smaller and mid-sized banks—to effectively play the role of CIOs, more measures are needed. Clarify authority and responsibilities, empower from a high position. Commercial banks should not only appoint a CIO, but also ensure the CIO has accountability, authority, and impact. The CIO must be part of the bank’s executive management team and may concurrently serve as a deputy governor, with the ability to enter the board and deeply participate in strategic decision-making—not merely as the head of the technology line. At the same time, combine internal and external efforts to cultivate talent. A CIO cannot fight alone; it is necessary to adhere to a combination of “internal capability building” and “external talent attraction,” strengthening the construction of financial technology teams. On one side, encourage technology backbones to rotate into frontline business roles and encourage business backbones to learn technical ways of thinking, cultivating cross-functional talent. On the other side, optimize talent by introducing it from outside through methods such as “open selection.”

Bai Wenxi suggests that, from an organizational structure standpoint, it is recommended to set up a “Technology Strategy Committee” directly led by the chairman, where the CIO serves as the executive director with veto power. Strip technology budgets away from traditional financial lines and establish an independent “Strategic Technology Fund.” The CIO should have leading authority over where the funds are allocated, so as to avoid the compression of long-term technology investment caused by short-term performance pressure. On the assessment mechanism, implement a “dual-track” evaluation: for CIOs, evaluate not only the efficiency of technical delivery, but also the effectiveness of technology in enabling business. Introduce “technology investment output ratio” as a core KPI, so the CIO is responsible for the business returns of technology investment.

On talent mechanisms, Bai Wenxi further noted that it is necessary to break the constraint of the bank’s traditional compensation system on technology talent and grant CIOs a certain proportion of compensation autonomy to use for recruiting top algorithm engineers and architects. Meanwhile, establish a “two-way rotation” system between technology and business departments to cultivate a pipeline of cross-functional talent that understands both technology and business, fundamentally addressing the talent bottleneck of technology-business integration.

Beijing Business Daily reporter Song Yitong

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